OZ-US Film Productions Pty Limited v Heath & ors [2001] NSWSC 298

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : OZ-US Film Productions Pty Limited v Heath & ors [2001] NSWSC 298 FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 3922/97 HEARING DATE(S) : 13 December 2000, 29 January, 14-15 February 2001, written submissions to 18 April 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 20 April 2001

OZ-US Film Productions Pty Limited (in liquidation) (ACN 003 191 679) (Plaintiff) Simon Heath (First Defendant) PARTIES : Hanline Pty Limited (Second Defendant) Mace Neufeld (Third Defendant) Mace Neufeld Productions Inc (Fourth Defendant) Sanwa Australia Limited (ACN 000 809 549) (Fifth Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Master McLaughlin

COUNSEL : P. Brereton SC, R. Brender (Plaintiff) I. Wales SC, M. Ashhurst (Third and Fourth Defendants) (applicants) SOLICITORS : Lakos & Company Solicitors (Plaintiff) Noyce Lawyers (Third and Fourth Defendants) CATCHWORDS : Practice - Service out of jurisdiction - Whether service is authorised by the Rules of Court - Whether applicants are properly joined as defendants - Whether proceedings constitute an abuse of process - Proceedings instituted whilst Plaintiff was deregistered - Reinstatement of Plaintiff - Order for reinstatement cannot be challenged in present application - Whether proceedings are bound to fail - Proof of foreign law - Law of California - Statutes of limitation - Whether substantive or procedural - Application by Court of forum of procedural law of California - Whether Court is an inappropriate forum for trial of proceedings - Whether Court in the exercise of its discretion should decline jurisdiction. Barnes v Addy (1874) 9 Ch. App. 244 Coppin v Tobler Bros Canberra Marine Centre Pty Limited [1980] 1 NSWLR 183 Laurie v Carroll (1958) 98 CLR 310 Witted v Galbraith [1893] 1 QB 577 Rosler v Hilbery [1925] 1 Ch. 250 Tyne Improvement Commission v Armement Anversois S/A (The Brabo) [1949] A.C. 326 Williams v Spautz (1992) 174 CLR 509 Dowling v Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited (1915) 20 CLR 509 at 521 Hospital Products Limited v United States Surgical Corporation (1985) 156 CLR 41 at 96-97 Banque Commerciale SA (in liquidation) v Akhil Holdings Limited (1990) 169 CLR 279 Counsel Development Pty Limited DPC Estates Pty Limited (1975) 132 CLR 373 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (1964) 112 CLR 125 Silverstone Holdings Pty Limited v American Home Assurance Company (1997) 18 WAR 516 CASES CITED : Jekos Holdings Pty Limited v Australian Horticultural Finance Pty Limited (1994) 121 FLR 362 Lidio Excellence Pty Limited v Cincotta (1998) 28 ACSR 389 US Surgical Corporation v Hospital Products International Pty Limited [1982] 2 NSWLR 766 Banco de Bilbao v Sancha (1938) 2 KB 176 Re Anglo Austrian Bank (1920) 1 Ch. 69 Karl Zeiss Stifiung v Rayner & Keeler Limited (No. 2) [1967] 1 AC 853 US Surgical Corporation v Hospital Products International [1983] 2 NSWLR 157 Re United Railways of the Havana and Regla Warehouses Limited [1960] Ch. 52 Ex Parte Pollard; Re Courtney (1840) 4 Deac 27 Pedersen v Young (1964) 110 CLR 162 McKain v R.W. Miller & Co. (SA) Pty Limited (1991) 174 CLR 1 John Pfeiffer Pty Limited v Rogerson (2000) 74 ALJR 1109 Angus & Coote Pty Limited v Qantas Airways Limited (1979) 2 NSWLR 398 The Hagen [1908] P189 DECISION : See paragraph 117.